W123 ball joint tool

[123 & Away]

Hello everyone, I’m a club member since 2021 and this is the first time my W123 has needed suspension work. It needs new front ball joints, and although I’ve now bought them from MB my mechanic doesn’t have the correct specialist tool to fit them. Does anyone in the London/north Kent/south Essex area have this tool and would allow me to either borrow it or could do this job for me. The old ones need removing as well.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[bladecrazy]

would removeing the hub not make it easier without the tool, i have the upper balljoint and control arms to do.

 

[123 & Away]

would removeing the hub not make it easier without the tool, i have the upper balljoint and control arms to do.

As far as si understand it, the difficulty is pressing them in, not getting the old ones out (which is still a huge pain, but can be done with two fairly large hammers). Good luck with your job and hopefully this thread will help us with more advice.

 

[bladecrazy]

good luck , so is it the bottom ball joints that need pressing?, wondering if my vice would do it.

 

[mioba]

You would need a good vice and an elephant to turn it or eat plenty of weetabix for brekky.
Garages use hydraulic press.

 

[star]

The problem is you cannot apply force directly down on the ball joint to press it in due to the curvature of the stub axle.